TOWRADGI Public School NEWSLETTER

Carters Lane, Fairy Meadow NSW 2519 T 02 42844527 E [email protected] W towradgi-p.school.com.au 1

Term 3 17 July 2015

TOWRADGI Publ ic S choolN E W S L E T T E R

Important Dates To Remember

Week 1

Welcome to the Beginning of Term 3!It was great to see our students return safe and happy after their recent two week holiday and I hope you had the chance to spend some quality time with your chil-dren. We’ve hit the ground running with a really busy term ahead as you will see from the term calendar attached to this newsletter. As always, please keep an eye on updates to the calendar as the term progresses.

Memorable MomentsOur stage 3 students recently undertook an education tour of the national capi-tal. Students were given the opportunity to participate in a variety of educational programs with a focus on Australia’s history, culture, heritage and democracy. The Australian Government recognises the importance of all young Australians being able to visit the national capital as part of their Civics and Citizenship education and assisted our school in meeting the cost of the excursion through contributing funding of $20 per student under the Parliament and Civics Education Rebate program. This rebate was very much appreciated and certainly supported the fam-ilies of those students involved by reducing the associated costs. You’ll find some memorable moments from the students’ perspectives included in this newsletter.

Monday 20 JulyISER Peforming Company 1.45pm

Tuesday 21 JulySouthern Stars Dance Rehearsal

P&C Meeting 7.00pm

Wednesday 22 JulyAthletics Carnival

OC Class Placement TestStarting Big School Meeting 6.30pm

Monday 27 July Education

Week Begins

Tuesday 28 JulyICAS English CompetitionNIAECG Meeting 3.45pm

Wednesday 29 July Open Classrooms from 9.30am


Achieving a quality education for all students in a caring environment

Aussie of MonthFor June/JulySam Harriman

K/1 PinkJasmin B, Emma P

K/1 OrangeZane L, Talia D, Chloe P

2 RedRegan C, Emily H

3/4 GreenJana E, Maryam E, Dylan V

4/5 BlueKayla P, Ethan L, Deklan C,

Sienna C5/6 Ruby

Xavier M, Melvin S, Bernard OK-6 Purple

Kai SK-6 Yellow

Wyatt BPBS Award

Jarrah B, Ruby SPrincipal’s Award

Aiden C

Bronze AwardK/1 Orange

Jasmin B, Lily H, Katie A,2 Red

Regan C, Molly S, Eve R3/4 Green

Coehn W, Jayden K, Cameron S,Bradley N5/6 Ruby

Melvin S, Tiegh L, Sean L, Taylor H, Louis D, Jacob K, Isaac S, Angela C,

Amielle C, Kalani M, Evelyn M, Joel H, Xavier M

Silver AwardK/1 Orange

Chloe P3/4 Green

William H, Toanui T5/6 Ruby

Nina S, Sarah L, Sam H, Jackson G, Jordan C, Geordie M, Jade T, Melanie F

Powerhouse Museum Sparks K/1 CuriosityThe excursion to Sydney and the Powerhouse Museum certainly sparked much excitement and curiosity amongst our Kindergarten and Year One students. Some of the exhibitions visited were based around the concepts of transport, space and the steam revolution. A real highlight for the students was the ability to jump into the world of the Wiggles with free-form play and high-tech interactive exhibits. Thanks go to Mrs Green for enabling this valuable learning experience for the students and to all staff and parents who supported on the day.

Assembly Awards

School Community Gives Generously for NepalThe SRC are proud to share that the school community raised $342 for ‘The Sun-shine School’ in Nepal. On the mufti day last term students wore their Nepalese flag colours and made thoughtful donations. The SRC led letter writing lessons and colouring in activities. The letters written by those students who returned their per-mission notes have been sent to the students of ‘The Sunshine School’. The SRC would like to extend a massive thank you to the students and community for their generosity and participation.

Celebrating Student SuccessesThe regional final of the Multicultural Public Speaking Competition was held at Woonona East Public School on Wednesday 24 June and Max T, Lilli Y, Madeleine D and Amielle C proudly represented our school in the competition. All four stu-dents spoke very well when delivering their prepared speeches and also capably delivered impromptu speeches, which can be daunting for even the most experi-enced public speaker. Congratulations Max, Lilli, Maddi and Amielle!

Congratulations also go to Chelsea S and Ella P who represented Towradgi PS in another primary school public speaking challenge, which was held at Woonona High School on 23 June as part of NAIDOC Week celebrations. Chelsea and Ella cooperatively planned and proudly delivered their very important messages about this year’s NAIDOC theme – ‘We all Stand on Sacred Ground: Learn, Respect and Celebrate’. Well done Chelsea and Ella!

Congratulations is extended to Max T who represented our school at the state cross country carnival today at Eastern Creek. We were advised that Max placed 39th in the state, well done Max! What an outstanding achievement.

Positive Rewards for Positive StudentsCongratulations go to Jarrah B and Ruby S who were the lucky winners of the superstar prize draw at our last assembly. As it was the last assembly for the term, we gathered all of the superstars the students had earned last term and placed them into our barrel for a ‘super-duper draw’. Mali F was the lucky winner of the ‘super-duper draw’. She won a $20 Smiggle Gift Card for her great effort and achievement last term. Congratulations Mali! Our prize draws will continue into term three with an on-going focus on our school values of safety, respect and responsibility and we will again be looking forward to finding out who will be the winners of our next PBS draw at the first assembly for term three on Friday 24 July.

Come Along to the Next P&C MeetingAn invitation is extended to all members of our school community to come along to the meetings, which are held on the third Tuesday of every month. We hope to see you at the next P&C meeting, which will be held at 7pm in the school library next Tuesday 21 July.

Aboriginal Education Consultative Group (AECG) Meeting InvitationOur local AECG invites members of our school community to attend their meetings. The next meeting of the Northern Illawarra AECG is scheduled for Tuesday 28 July from 3:45pm at Helensburgh Public School.


Safety Respect Responsibility

Reminders5 Cent FridayBring your loose change for Year 6 FundraiserSchool BankingKeep depositing mon-ey &

Teachers Are Learners Too

Great Debates Continue at ToPSLast Wednesday our Banksia Debating Team, consisting of Joel H, Jackson G and Ella R with team advisor, Bernard O and supporting members, Nina S and Eve-lyn M, participated in a debate against Fairy Meadow Demonstration School and debated the topic, “That we should ban fast food companies from Australia.” The team tried very hard and argued in the affirmative, but on this occasion the debate was awarded to Fairy Meadow Demonstration School.Today, our Waratah debating team participated in their debate against Mount Ou-sley Public School. The team consisted of Maddie D, Sam H and Mel F, with team advisor Geordie M. The topic was “That we should ban all contact sports for prima-ry school children”. Once again, our Waratah team tried very hard and represented the negative and are to be congratulated for winning the debate.It has been wonderful to watch the students debating skills develop during the competition. Gongratulations to both teams. Thanks also go to Mrs Lieschke and Mr Santos for their exceptional coaching and preparation.

ToPS Acknowledges and Celebrates NAIDOC WeekThe National NAIDOC Committee encourages all Australians - young and old - to celebrate the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. To celebrate NAIDOC week, all classes at Towradgi PS have been reading indigenous stories and completing art activities during their library sessions. Each class read the book 'The Rainbow Serpent' and 4/5 Blue will cul-minate our NAIDOC week celebrations with a special assembly item next Friday.

Memorable Moments from Stage 3 Excursion I really enjoyed using the interactive equipment in the Sportex room at the Austral-ian Institutue of Sport. My favourite was the rowing simulator, I rowed 2.5 km in 5 minutes. Joel H

My favourite part was our visit to Parliament House, We got to go behind the scenes and visit Ms Sharon Bird’s office. We also did parliamentary role plays.Jordan R

My favourite place was Parliament House because I learnt how laws are passed and I got to see Mr Abbott in the flesh. Taylor H

The War Memorial was awesome. I liked to see the names of all the people who served and died for our country during wars. I know I could not do that. Mel F

At the School Development Day last Monday, our teachers were involved in a day of valuable professional development. Our teachers joined together with teach-ing staff from our Corrimal Commu-nity of Schools and participated in training related to the implementation of the new NSW Science Syllabus.Our staff are constantly learning which is a highly valued and essen-tial part of our school’s development.

Library NewsWelcome to Term 3, with Education Week, Book Week, the final weeks of the Premier's Reading Challenge and lots of other opportunities to share and enjoy great reading moments with your children. At the end of last term, over 120 K-6 fiction books were added to our collection. These are currently being covered by two wonderful mums (thank you!) and will soon be on the shelves ready for borrowing. In Educa-tion Week, you can visit the library dur-ing lunch and buy a book to donate to our library - your support to help grow our collection would be greatly appreci-ated! Our Book Week theme is Books Light Up Our World, and I can't wait to see what amazing costumes ToPS students will shine in! A reminder that Yr 2-6 PRC books should be logged at home but I am happy to help your child log their reading if they are behind. The PRC officially ends on 21 August.This term, K-6 Yellow and K-6 Purple and K-2 will be exploring the fabulous shortlisted Children's Book Coun-cil books, and 3-6 will be honing their research skills. Library lunchtimes continue to provide a range of activ-ities for students to enjoy - craft, lego, board games, puzzles, and reading!Ms Krohn, Relieving Teacher Librarian


Engaging 21st Cenury Learners

What’s Due This WeekActivity Payment

Amount Due Date

School Fees - P&C

$30 per child$50 per family

ASAP

.

Alternate Date for Athletics Carnival Again!Unfortunately, due to the unsuitable weather conditions the athletics carnival has once again been postponed. It is hoped that the weather will be much kinder to us on Wednesday 22 July, which has been set down as the new date for the Athletics Carnival. Invitation to Celebrate ToPS Achievements and SuccessesEducation Week begins on Monday 27 July and the theme this year is “Celebrating Local Heroes". To celebrate Education Week at Towradgi PS, we will be having open classrooms on Wednesday 29 July from 9:30am. Parents/carers are invited to visit the classrooms and see a range of classroom activities in action, followed by a parent/carer information session in the school hall from 10:30am. Parents/carers are then invited to join us for a celebratory sausage sizzle lunch at 11:00am, followed by a ToPS FM broadcast for the whole school community in the school hall from 11:45am, which is scheduled to conclude at approximately 12:15pm. Please take this opportunity to visit our school and your child’s classroom to celebrate the wonderful things that happen in our great public school.

Starting Big School in 2016?We will be holding an information session for parents of students enrolling in Kindergarten in 2016 on Wednesday 22 July from 6:30 – 7:30pm. This session is open to any interested parents whether they intend enrolling at Towradgi PS or any other school. The aim of the night will be to discuss school readiness, the enrolment process and how to prepare children (and parents) for what is a very significant part of their lives.The information evening has been advertised through local pre-schools, on our website and through a letter-box drop. Many thanks go to Mel P, Alison G and Bron-te A for their coordination of the letter-box drop at the end of last term and thanks to all community members who assisted in their delivery. Your great team effort was very much appreciated!

Rehearsals Ramp UpPreparations for Southern Stars continue with rehearsals scheduled for all of our performance groups over the coming weeks. The dance group students will be attending rehearsals at Figtree High School next Tuesday 21 July and a combined dance rehearsal at the Wollongong Entertainment Centre on Tuesday 4 August. The Choir will participate in a massed rehearsal at Albion Park HS on Monday 3 August and another rehearsal on Friday 7 August at a venue yet to be confirmed. More information and permission notes are included in separate correspondence. We wish all participants well as they prepare for the big performances on the 28 and 29 August. Tickets to watch this spectacular show are now on sale through Ticketek.

Excursion Opportunity Beyond the FrameOnce again we are offering non-participating students K-6, the opportunity to be part of the audience for the spectacular Southern Stars performance of ‘Beyond the Frame’ and more information and permission notes have been sent home in separate correspondence. Tickets are available for the first 45 students to return their notes and money and are only available up until Wednesday 22 July or until sold out.

The ICAS Challenge ContinuesThe International Competitions and Assessments for Schools (ICAS) will continue with the English Competition on Tuesday 28 July and the Mathematics Competition on Tuesday 11 August. Once again we congratulate all students who will be challeng-ing themselves through their participation.

ToPS Prepare to Earn and LearnThis year, we have again registered for the Woolworths Earn and Learn Program. Shoppers can start collecting stickers at the checkout of Woolworths supermarkets to place onto a sticker sheet. Once completed, sticker sheets can be placed into a collection box at the school office. It is hoped that with support from the schoolcommunity again this year, we may be able to obtain some more worthwhile resourc-es for the school. Cathy Broadbridge, Principal


Learning & Growing TogetherTowradgi Public SchoolPARENTS & CITIZENS’ ASSOCIATION

NEWSLETTER

Next MeetingTuesday 21 July @ 7pm in the Library. See you there!

Welcome Back!We hope that everyone had a refreshing, if chilly holiday and our children are ready for the second half of 2015.

Call for new members!As we enter the second half of the year the P & C would like to renew its call to all members of our school community to become involved. Remember there are lots of ways to help if meetings and official roles are not your thing!

Upcoming events to consider:• Covering newly purchased library books and readers• Volunteering for the Fathers’ Day Stall (date to be advised)• Collecting Woolworths Earn & Learn Stickers• Attending a P & C Meeting

P & C Meeting, Tuesday 21st (next week)A reminder that next Tuesday we will hold our July meeting and if you have any ideas and agenda items please contact the secretary by Monday afternoon.

Waminda Bakery Pie DriveThis week flyers and order forms were issued. This is a repeat of last year’s Pie Drive that was really successful! 20% of the profit goes to the P & C. The pies range from $10 to $14 and can be fro-zen, so you can stock up for those cold nights ahead. Join with your family and friends to make a bulk order! Orders, with payment, due to the school by Wednesday July 29th. Collected from school office Thursday August 6th. If you place a large (more than 2) order, to ensure your pies arrive home safely please have an adult collect them.

Woolworths Earn & LearnWe have set up a bin in the school office for parents to deposit their Woolworths Earn & Learn stickers. Please collect them as you shop and encourage your family to donate to Towradgi Public School.

Letterbox Drop for 2016 EnrolmentsThank you to all the parents who delivered our flyers about starting school in 2016 to our local streets. This has been very successful with an increase in enquires. If you ran out of flyers before finishing your street please ask for more from the office today. The informa-tion evening is on next Wednesday July 22nd.

Agenda items and ideas to Bronte [email protected]

TOWRADGI Public School NEWSLETTER

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